MOMENTS I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER AND MEMORIES I WILL NEVER FORGET

"I don't often get that buzz of excitement anymore. That feeling left when I was halfway through high school and hasn't since returned. That was until I returned home after one of the best weeks in my life. It's not often you can really classify a week as one of the "best" in your life, however long or short that may be. But after experiencing everything I did during those seven days, I can safely classify it as one I will never forget. 

I really didn't know what to expect from the seven days I would be spending on the STS Leeuwin II on my first Youth Explorer Voyage. Living with a group of fifty five people I had never met and probably had nothing in common with, aboard an old-school ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There was nowhere to swim to if I decided to jump off and bail. Sufficed to say, the week exceeded any expectations I may have had by a long shot.

Regardless of whether you are someone who thrives on adventure, risk-taking and challenges or hides at even the thought of stepping out of your comfort zone, this voyage had every single person from all different confidence levels and walks of life, experiencing things they would never imagine to. Attached by harnesses, one by one, rung by rung, up you climb to the top of the masts. After reaching the last rung, now thirty three metres above the ocean surface, you are breathless. If not from fear of how high up you are perched, then for the incredible three hundred and sixty degree view that hits your eyes as you sit in a moment of awe. With uninterrupted views of Western Australia's rugged coastline, it hits you, how amazing this moment is and how lucky you are to be sitting up here with this amazing view. After all, how often do you get the chance to see something like this from somewhere like here?

As with all experiences, there were highs and lows that came with the adventure. The unique thing for me was that moments that may have been considered a ‘low’ were also the catalysts for some of the beautiful and memorable moments. Take night watch as a perfect example. Being woken in the middle of the night having to harness up, eyes half shut and climb upstairs into the cold night air for watch every night, always warranted a few groans and whines. Though those moments seemed almost insignificant when you were sat at the bow of the ship at 2am, just you and a friend, under the starry sky; counting shooting stars, talking about life and keeping watch. For me this was one of the rare moments where there was nothing else I had to be doing at that time but sitting listening to the quiet waves against the ship in peace.

We sailed during the days and when we weren't sleeping at night, sat up laughing, playing cards, guitar, and singing with the new friends we had made. Everyone on the ship had come from a different walk of life, whether that was from a different school or a different country. For me, being older than most of the trainees on board, it was amazing to experience the concept of ‘age’ become irrelevant once you stepped on the ship. Once we were on the ship – a difference in age didn't seem to exist; we were all just trainees, sailors, equals.

I could write a novel about my experiences on the ship but all in all, it was one of the most incredible weeks of my life. The friends I made, the things I saw and the moments and memories I will keep were something that I will never forget. Not many people get the opportunity to experience sailing a tall ship and everything that comes with it so for those who are even remotely thinking about it – I would say don’t hesitate. " 


[Kate, 21, Youth Explorer Voyage Trainee 2012]